Offer a sincere greeting
In Sura Nisa (4:86), Allah says: And when you are offered a greeting, respond with a greeting that is better, or return it (with a equal courtesy).
Reflection: One of the easiest ways to build and strengthen social bonds is to greet others sincerely. Islam encourages us to greet one another with the greeting: "Peace be upon you". How beautiful is that since as human beings, peace is what we are ultimately searching for. It is also important to remember that while the initial greeing is highly recommended, a response to the greeting is incumbant upon us.
A hadith informs us that spreading greeetings of peace along with sharing food with others, maintaining family relations and praying in the middle of the night are acts that will grant one Paradise (ref: The Study Quran, pg 231).
Why: When someone reaches out to connect in this way, at the very least we are required to turn towards them with a similar or better greeting. The verse encourages to go further and offer a better greeting.
Initiating a social exchange can be challenging for those who are shy or socially awkward. When we return a greeting offered despite the awkwardness and shyness with one better than that, we validate them and encourage them to connect with us. In a sense, we are rewarding them for their initiation of reaching out. This action takes out much of the emotional and psychological risk that we experience in reaching out which shows us up as hesitation or shyness.
How: This is so simple. When someone says "As Salaam Alaiykum" "May peace be upon you", lets pause for just a moment and actually wish them peace from within our hearts. Doing this as a regular practice has so many benefits. We can actually practice letting go of any ill feeling or misunderstandings as we wish them peace. Imagine the feeling of peace descending on them and on our relationship as we greet them.
This verse in action: If we were practicing the spirit of this verse, there would be peace in our hearts, in our relationships, in our homes and in the world.
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